Eco-Postcards
Top Left
This is a wallflower known as Erysimum capitatum. Erysimum capitatum is an herbaceous perineal belonging to the Brassicaceae or mustard family. This plant is commonly found across the United States.
Erysimum capitatum is usually found in dry areas. This plant prefers dry soil, lots of sunlight, and little precipitation. These flowers bloom between May and July and can come in a variety of colors including red, orange, and yellow. These plants are biennial, meaning they take two years to complete the cycle in which they produce flowers and die. It is not uncommon for these plants to produce flowers the first year. Erysimum capitatum are autotrophs meaning they produce their own food through photosynthesis. These plants can grow between one and three feet tall during development.
This plant grows and develops for over a year and then produces flowers its second year. These plants and their flowers provide homes and nutrients to caterpillars and their adult counterparts, the butterfly. Erysimum capitatum are important for the growth and development of caterpillars into butterflies, which in turn help pollinate other plants that are needed within the environment. Erysimum capitatum are also food sources for moths as well, which contribute the environment.
Bottom Left
These turtles were caught basking in the sun on their favorite rock. These are commonly known as map turtles or just aquatic turtles. The species name is Graptemys pseudogeographica.
Graptemys pseudogeographica can be found in seventeen states including Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. These turtles are found in freshwater environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, and even drowned forests. In the wild, these turtles require vegetation to survive which can be found within the freshwater environments. They also require a basking area, just a place to lay out and completely dry out their shells from time to time to prevent mold from growing inside. This area could just be a rock or even a log. These turtles can also feed on small fish, tadpoles, and insects.
Graptemys pseudogeographica can mate twice a year in April and October. During the mating season, the female turtles will come out of the water and look for a place to lay their eggs. They look for a place that has low shrubbery and will be safe for the eggs. If the female does not find a safe place, she may choose not to lay her eggs, but instead hold them which could be detrimental to her health. She would not be able to keep them inside and lay them one at a time in the water with the risk that they would be eaten. However, if she does find a safe place to lay her eggs, she will dig out a spot, lay her eggs, and cover them with sand or dirt to protect them from predators. After about sixty days the eggs will hatch, and the offspring will return to the water and grow and mature. For this certain species, male turtles will reach sexual maturity between four to six years and the female turtles will reach sexual maturity between eight to fourteen years.
Graptemys pseudogeographica have a long lifespan in the wild and live for up to fifty years. They have few predators after they reach the water and grow but have many predators while they are young hatchlings. The eggs are preyed on by small rodents, snakes, and foxes. After hatching, birds, hawks, and small rodents will prey on the hatchlings as they travel back to the water. After reaching the water, large fish such as bass can prey on them.
These turtles are very easy to recognize when seen. They are dark with yellow lines and no other colors. The ones pictured above look lighter because their shells are dry from being in the sun. These turtles are not likely to bite or attack if you try to pick one up. They do however retract into their shells when feeling threatened.
Graptemys pseudogeographica are important to the environment because they provide a food source to predators and they eat vegetation growing in the freshwater habitat. This allows for the waters to remain clean and the plants are not able to invade the water completely.
Top Right
This flower is commonly known as the Rose of Sharon. The species name is Hibiscus syriacus. This is a deciduous shrub that originates from India and China but can be found in the northeastern United States. These flowers can come in different colors including red, blue, and purple.
Hibiscus syriacus blooms in August here in the United States. This plant requires water, exposure to the sun, and rich soil to grow and survive. This species of plant is not native to the area, but can survive harsh conditions such as heat, drought, and poor soil conditions. Hibiscus syriacus can become an invasive species if left to grow free in the environment. Hibiscus syriacus is an autotroph and makes its own food through photosynthesis. However, this species falls prey to small insects, especially the Japanese beetle.
Hibiscus syriacus come in different shades including purple, blue, and red. If the plant is over watered, it can produce yellow flowers as a result. These plants can also grow between eight and ten feet tall.
Hibiscus syriacus is important to the environment because it can provide a food source and home to certain insects, such as the Japanese beetle. This plant is also relatively known for flowering in late summer and early fall giving a bright flower that can be viewed in gardens or picked and sold in stores.
Bottom Right
This is a mouse that jumped out in front of me while walking along a trail. It is commonly known as a White-footed mouse. This species name is Peromyscus leucopus.
Peromyscus leucopus are native to North America. They are very small rodents that live in dry forests, specifically around fallen trees. A female mouse can give birth to up to nine offspring at once. After forty-four days, these mice become sexually mature and can reproduce. The mating season extends from March to October in the northern part of the continent. These mice can live up to a year in their natural environment.
Peromyscus leucopus are mostly nocturnal and eat small insects, grains, and seeds. Their predators consist of owls, foxes, and snakes.
These mice usually have gray or brown fur on top with a white underbelly and feet. They are very similar to the North American Deer Mouse but have a few characteristics that help distinguish between the two such as fur color, tail length, and weight.
The White-footed mouse plays a major role in its environment by dispersing seeds for plants by carrying them from place to place or by eating and leaving fecal matter behind. This way the plants seeds are in a new location where they can start to grow and develop. These mice are also a food source for their predators, including snakes, foxes, and owls.
Work Cited
LLC, Conceptiv Apps. “Blossom - Plant Identification.” App Store, 26 Feb. 2020,
apps.apple.com/us/app/blossom-plant-identification/id1487453649.
"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin." Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The Botanic Garden of Texas. 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 12 Sept. 2020.
"Sanddune Wallflower, Erysimum Capitatum." Calscape - Restore Nature One Garden at a Time. Web. 12 Sept. 2020.
Stinson, M. "ADW: Graptemys Pseudogeographica: INFORMATION." Animal Diversity Web. 2006. Web. 10 Sept. 2020.
"White-footed Mouse | Squam Lakes Natural Science Center." Squam Science Center. 2020. Web. 9 Sept. 2020.
Hyperlinks to the webpages used:
https://www.nhnature.org/visit/animal_info_sheets/white_footed_mouse.php
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Graptemys_pseudogeographica/
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=erca14
https://calscape.org/Erysimum-capitatum-()
All photos used were my own that I took at either the Wright State Woods or Cox Arboretum Metropark in Centerville.
This is a wallflower known as Erysimum capitatum. Erysimum capitatum is an herbaceous perineal belonging to the Brassicaceae or mustard family. This plant is commonly found across the United States.
Erysimum capitatum is usually found in dry areas. This plant prefers dry soil, lots of sunlight, and little precipitation. These flowers bloom between May and July and can come in a variety of colors including red, orange, and yellow. These plants are biennial, meaning they take two years to complete the cycle in which they produce flowers and die. It is not uncommon for these plants to produce flowers the first year. Erysimum capitatum are autotrophs meaning they produce their own food through photosynthesis. These plants can grow between one and three feet tall during development.
This plant grows and develops for over a year and then produces flowers its second year. These plants and their flowers provide homes and nutrients to caterpillars and their adult counterparts, the butterfly. Erysimum capitatum are important for the growth and development of caterpillars into butterflies, which in turn help pollinate other plants that are needed within the environment. Erysimum capitatum are also food sources for moths as well, which contribute the environment.
Bottom Left
These turtles were caught basking in the sun on their favorite rock. These are commonly known as map turtles or just aquatic turtles. The species name is Graptemys pseudogeographica.
Graptemys pseudogeographica can be found in seventeen states including Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. These turtles are found in freshwater environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, and even drowned forests. In the wild, these turtles require vegetation to survive which can be found within the freshwater environments. They also require a basking area, just a place to lay out and completely dry out their shells from time to time to prevent mold from growing inside. This area could just be a rock or even a log. These turtles can also feed on small fish, tadpoles, and insects.
Graptemys pseudogeographica can mate twice a year in April and October. During the mating season, the female turtles will come out of the water and look for a place to lay their eggs. They look for a place that has low shrubbery and will be safe for the eggs. If the female does not find a safe place, she may choose not to lay her eggs, but instead hold them which could be detrimental to her health. She would not be able to keep them inside and lay them one at a time in the water with the risk that they would be eaten. However, if she does find a safe place to lay her eggs, she will dig out a spot, lay her eggs, and cover them with sand or dirt to protect them from predators. After about sixty days the eggs will hatch, and the offspring will return to the water and grow and mature. For this certain species, male turtles will reach sexual maturity between four to six years and the female turtles will reach sexual maturity between eight to fourteen years.
Graptemys pseudogeographica have a long lifespan in the wild and live for up to fifty years. They have few predators after they reach the water and grow but have many predators while they are young hatchlings. The eggs are preyed on by small rodents, snakes, and foxes. After hatching, birds, hawks, and small rodents will prey on the hatchlings as they travel back to the water. After reaching the water, large fish such as bass can prey on them.
These turtles are very easy to recognize when seen. They are dark with yellow lines and no other colors. The ones pictured above look lighter because their shells are dry from being in the sun. These turtles are not likely to bite or attack if you try to pick one up. They do however retract into their shells when feeling threatened.
Graptemys pseudogeographica are important to the environment because they provide a food source to predators and they eat vegetation growing in the freshwater habitat. This allows for the waters to remain clean and the plants are not able to invade the water completely.
Top Right
This flower is commonly known as the Rose of Sharon. The species name is Hibiscus syriacus. This is a deciduous shrub that originates from India and China but can be found in the northeastern United States. These flowers can come in different colors including red, blue, and purple.
Hibiscus syriacus blooms in August here in the United States. This plant requires water, exposure to the sun, and rich soil to grow and survive. This species of plant is not native to the area, but can survive harsh conditions such as heat, drought, and poor soil conditions. Hibiscus syriacus can become an invasive species if left to grow free in the environment. Hibiscus syriacus is an autotroph and makes its own food through photosynthesis. However, this species falls prey to small insects, especially the Japanese beetle.
Hibiscus syriacus come in different shades including purple, blue, and red. If the plant is over watered, it can produce yellow flowers as a result. These plants can also grow between eight and ten feet tall.
Hibiscus syriacus is important to the environment because it can provide a food source and home to certain insects, such as the Japanese beetle. This plant is also relatively known for flowering in late summer and early fall giving a bright flower that can be viewed in gardens or picked and sold in stores.
Bottom Right
This is a mouse that jumped out in front of me while walking along a trail. It is commonly known as a White-footed mouse. This species name is Peromyscus leucopus.
Peromyscus leucopus are native to North America. They are very small rodents that live in dry forests, specifically around fallen trees. A female mouse can give birth to up to nine offspring at once. After forty-four days, these mice become sexually mature and can reproduce. The mating season extends from March to October in the northern part of the continent. These mice can live up to a year in their natural environment.
Peromyscus leucopus are mostly nocturnal and eat small insects, grains, and seeds. Their predators consist of owls, foxes, and snakes.
These mice usually have gray or brown fur on top with a white underbelly and feet. They are very similar to the North American Deer Mouse but have a few characteristics that help distinguish between the two such as fur color, tail length, and weight.
The White-footed mouse plays a major role in its environment by dispersing seeds for plants by carrying them from place to place or by eating and leaving fecal matter behind. This way the plants seeds are in a new location where they can start to grow and develop. These mice are also a food source for their predators, including snakes, foxes, and owls.
Work Cited
LLC, Conceptiv Apps. “Blossom - Plant Identification.” App Store, 26 Feb. 2020,
apps.apple.com/us/app/blossom-plant-identification/id1487453649.
"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin." Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The Botanic Garden of Texas. 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 12 Sept. 2020.
"Sanddune Wallflower, Erysimum Capitatum." Calscape - Restore Nature One Garden at a Time. Web. 12 Sept. 2020.
Stinson, M. "ADW: Graptemys Pseudogeographica: INFORMATION." Animal Diversity Web. 2006. Web. 10 Sept. 2020.
"White-footed Mouse | Squam Lakes Natural Science Center." Squam Science Center. 2020. Web. 9 Sept. 2020.
Hyperlinks to the webpages used:
https://www.nhnature.org/visit/animal_info_sheets/white_footed_mouse.php
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Graptemys_pseudogeographica/
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=erca14
https://calscape.org/Erysimum-capitatum-()
All photos used were my own that I took at either the Wright State Woods or Cox Arboretum Metropark in Centerville.